Every Monday, the Research Trainees of the CERESE assess the news of the previous week. You can read their opinions below:

I like…

…Amnesty International’s statements on the need for an investigation in Gaza. In particular, Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy, and Campaigns, said that the discovery of mass graves with hundreds of bodies in two hospitals in Gaza requires immediate access to human rights investigators. An independent and impartial investigation into the Israel-Gaza conflict is necessary to ensure the protection of human rights in the region.

...the announcement of reforms by the Palestinian Authority. Specifically, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa announced the introduction of a series of reforms. The aim is to strengthen the Palestinian Authority by fighting corruption, improving the efficiency of the public sector, and implementing economic reforms. The US and other international partners have pressed the Palestinian Authority to undertake these reforms to restore the confidence of frustrated Palestinians. Moreover, their necessity is made clear, given that Washington and its allies have expressed the view that the Palestinian Authority should be involved in the management of the Gaza Strip once Israeli troops withdraw. 

I dislike…

…the news of the arrest of over 100 people at Emerson College in Boston. This was in the wake of the latest attempt to crack down on the growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses, which led House Speaker Mike Johnson to propose that the National Guard be called up. At the University of Texas at Austin (UT) at least 34 protesters, including a journalist from a local news station, were arrested overnight, while at the University of Southern California (USC) another 93 people were arrested by police officers dressed in riot gear.

...the arrest in absentia of the legendary former chess champion Garry Kasparov by the Russian authorities. The arrest of Garry Kasparov was ordered by the competent Russian authorities on charges of terrorism and espionage on behalf of foreign interests. This development is not particularly positive and the charges are likely to have a political basis. Garry Kasparov’s reaction and his response to the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, are of great importance, as they show his protest against these arbitrary actions and his commitment to the values of law and democracy.